Building Component Construction System Utilizing Insulated Composite Wall Panels and Method For in situ Assembly

ABSTRACT

A wall panel construction for in situ assembly includes a plurality of parallel elongate molded foam insulation forms uniformly spaced from each other to form elongate substantially parallel channels between each two adjacent molded foam insulation forms. Elongate attachment members extend along the channels proximate to the inner end surfaces. Concrete ribs fill voids between adjacent molded foam insulation forms to fill said channels to form load-supporting concrete columns extending along the length directions of the molded foam insulation forms. A sheathing panel abuts outer end surfaces. Fasteners attach the elongate attachment members and sheathing panel to the ribs, the inner end surfaces defining a plane substantially parallel to the sheathing panel suitable for attachment to a sheet of plaster board to cover the molded foam insulation forms when incorporated into a building structure. A building structure and method of assembling the wall panels are also described.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The invention generally relates to the field of housing construction and, more specifically, to a building component construction system utilizing insulated composite wall panels and method for in sitar assembly.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Currently the housing construction method that is the fastest, least expensive and most earthquake resistant is wood frame construction. But wood frame construction has many limitations and drawbacks. It requires a lot of skilled labor that needs to be highly supervised for the quality of the construction to be maintained. Wood is highly flammable and, for use in multifamily construction, there needs to be many detailed and expensive design features built in, like sprinklers and fireproofing with layers of gypsum board. Also, it is often necessary to build wood together with masonry construction to create required, fire separations. Wood is not a very durable material as it can rot and it needs to be surfaced with protective materials. There are many regions in the world where wood is too expensive or not available, and wood is a limited natural resource, so even if everyone in the world wanted to build with wood it would put a big strain on global forestry resources.

Even though, from the perspective of current construction practices, wood is relatively fast and inexpensive to build with, from the perspective of other more advanced industries wood construction methods are primitive and backwards and resemble a craft industry, rather than a highly efficient modern industry. Also, regarding these issues of limited efficiency and industrialization of production, much the same can be said for light gauge steel frame construction, which when it comes to fabrication of buildings, is mostly identical to wood frame construction methods.

In architecture and the construction trades in situ refers to construction that is carried out at a building site generally using at least some locally available materials. Compare that with prefabricated construction, in which building components are made in a remote factory and then transported to the building site for assembly. For example, concrete slabs may be in situ or prefabricated. In situ techniques are often more labor-intensive, and take longer, but the materials are cheaper, and the work is more versatile and adaptable. Prefabricated techniques are usually quicker to use, saving labor costs, but factory-made parts can be expensive. They are also inflexible, and must often be designed on a grid, with all details fully calculated in advance. Prefabricated units may require special handling and incur increased shipping costs due to increased dimensions and greater bulk.

While in situ constructions date back to the Egyptian pyramids and before prefabricated techniques are associated more with the Industrial Revolution. Both forms of construction have proliferated as housing demands have increased in developed and developing countries. Factors typically considered in deciding which construction to use include the availability of raw materials at a building site, costs of building materials, proximity of the building site to industrial facilities, costs of transporting materials to the building site, the ability to produce construction modules such as wall panels and the like having desired properties, etc. Because in, situ constructions tend to be more labor-intensive there has been a need to produce construction components, such as wall panels, that minimize requirements for manual labor and, therefore, the cost of such components. Also, known panel constructions, while provide desired structural properties, including bearing strength, such panels are not inherently insulated and insulation must be added to the panels at some point during the construction, requiring additional labor and material costs. While numerous panel constructions have been known and proposed, they continue to be impractical for many applications, especially in remote regions or constructions in developing countries where there is a significant demand for constructions that provide suitable housing and shelter that is both low cost but also provides desired properties such as insulation from the heat and cold and is less prone to damage due to natural disasters, such as earthquakes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a wall panel construction that does not have the disadvantages inherent in prior wall panel constructions.

It is another object of the invention to provide prefabricated wall panel constructions that can be produced in situ.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a wall panel construction that is simple and inexpensive to make at a construction site.

It is still another object of the invention to provide wall panel construction as in the previous objects that significantly reduces, or minimizes, manual labor required to produce the wall panels.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a wall panel that is versatile and can be adapted to be used in almost any climatic conditions.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a wall panel construction that inherently incorporates insulation so that little or no additional insulation needs to be added to the construction after the panels are assembled into a structure.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a wall panel construction of the type under discussion that can easily be modified on a panel-by panel basis to accommodate specific structural requirements such as interior or exterior walls, windows, etc.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide an in situ wall panel that can be formed, in whole or in part, with components and/or materials that can be produced entirely at a construction site.

It is still an additional object of the invention to provide a wall panel construction as in the previous objects that incorporates accommodations for utilities such as plumbing, electricity and wiring for various electrical/electronic systems.

It is yet an additional object of the invention to provide a wall panel construction as suggested above that is more resistant to fire and vibrations or movements caused by earthquakes than wood frame constructions.

The goal of this project is to create a highly versatile, lightweight component construction system for use in low rise and mid-rise multifamily housing and other structures. This construction system is lightweight, durable, relatively inexpensive, fast-to build and requires a minimum of labor. This system also is energy efficient and should be suitable for building in areas where buildings are required to be designed for earthquake conditions. The construction in accordance with the invention does not use wood for framing so it is ideal for use in areas where wood is costly, scarce or not available.

Because of the advantages of wood frame construction, however, the invention uses MgO board or other similar advanced cement board construction to maintain many of the positive aspects of wood construction, while adding to or improving upon other aspects of this construction method. It is the goal of this invention to create a construction method that has the advantages of a construction system that is made from technologically advanced materials like molded polyurethane foam, steel joists, MgO cement boards, and fiber reinforced concrete, but no wood. In order to achieve the above objects, and others that will become apparent hereafter, a wall panel in accordance with the present invention is formed of a plurality of contiguous parallel elongate molded foam insulation forms that, together with attached cement boards, provide spaced elongate vertical channels or voids between each two adjacent molded foam insulation forms. Elongate vertical plate or tube attachment members extend along the upper ends of each of the channels and extend along the edges of the molded foam insulation forms. Horizontal plate or tube members are provided at the lower or opposite ends or edges of the molded foam insulation forms from where vertical plate members are located. Concrete fills the channels or voids about the peripheries of each of the molded foam insulation forms to embed the horizontal and vertical plates or tubes within the concrete. The filled channels form load-supporting concrete columns or ribs extending along the length directions of the molded foam insulation forms. The molded foam insulation foil is of each panel are arranged in a common plane to which any cement board or any other suitable sheathing panel may be attached to complete the wall panel. Preferably, the sheathing panel comprises an MgO board to improve the overall properties of the assembled wall panel. By assembling the panels while preferably essentially in a vertical or inclined plane the concrete efficiently flows into and fills the channels to form the columns and ribs. A plurality of such panels can be formed in the field or at a construction site. By stacking the panels a large number of assembled panels can be made while minimizing the footprint of the production and storage areas and thus increasing productivity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view of a molded foam insulation form in accordance with the invention shown prior to pouring of concrete to form concrete ribs;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the molded foam insulation form shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along 3-3;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-section of the panel shown in FIG. 2, taken along line 4-4;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the panel shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 for a modified panel;

FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 1 for a modified molded foam insulation form with an opening feature for receiving a window;

FIG. 8 is transverse cross-section of the panel shown in FIG. 7, taken along line 8-8:

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the panel shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is similar FIG. 4 showing a molded foam insulation form and a cement board aligned with the rear surface of the form just prior to being secured thereto;

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-section of the form shown in FIG. 2 after a cement board has been secured to the molded foam insulation form taken along 11-11;

FIG. 12 is similar to FIG. 11 for the form with an opening for a window shown in FIG. 7, taken along 12-12;

FIG. 13 is a transverse cross-section of two tandem forms illustrating voids or elongate channels formed by adjacent molded foam insulation forms and attached cement boards, extending along the height of the panel;

FIG. 13a is a perspective view of tandem wall panels after concrete has been poured into the voids or elongate channels to form vertical concrete beams or ribs;

FIG. 14 is a rear elevational view of the panel shown in FIG. 2 with optional cross steel straps or braces forming a reinforcing truss;

FIG. 15 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the panel shown in FIG. 14 taken along 15-15;

FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of the panel shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a fragmented view of one of the steel straps shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is similar to FIG. 16 without the steel straps but with an opening for a window;

FIG. 19 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the steel strap of FIG. 17;

FIG. 20 is a rear elevational view of the steel strap shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the steel strap shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 22 is a rear elevational view of the steel strap shown in FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is similar to FIG. 14, showing the location of the steel straps relative to the steel anchors or tubes embedded in the vertical concrete columns or ribs;

FIG. 24 is a side elevational view of the panel shown in FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of the panel shown in FIG. 23, taken along line 25-25;

FIG. 26 is a top elevational view of the panel shown in FIG. 25 with a double flanged foam form;

FIG. 27 is similar to FIG. 26 but shows another embodiment of the panel with a single flanged foam form;

FIG. 28 is similar to FIG. 23, with the steel straps removed to show grooves formed in the foam form for receiving the steel straps;

FIG. 29 is a front elevation view of three tandem panels with the two panels reinforced with steel straps and the middle panel provided with an opening for a window;

FIG. 30 is a front elevational view of the panels shown in FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 is similar to FIG. 30 but showing three similar panels supporting a steel support beam and showing a modified full length steel tube for blocking fire between two units separated by a party wall;

FIG. 32 is similar to FIG. 31, showing a gap in the steel support beam to accommodate a perpendicular exterior wall;

FIG. 33 is a top plan view of a structure formed of panels of the type shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, also showing steel joists supported by the concrete columns or ribs;

FIG. 34a is a top plan view of a steel plate prior to bending to form a steel corner brace;

FIG. 34b is similar to FIG. 34a after the plate has been formed into a joist steel corner brace shown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 35 is a diagrammatic front elevational view illustrating the assembly of various panels in the formation of a wail with a steel lintel over an opening;

FIG. 36 is similar to FIG. 35 showing a wall with two windows in place of one window and one opening;

FIG. 37 is similar to the FIGS. 35 and 36 in which a wall is not provided with any window openings;

FIG. 38 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a steel support beam shown in FIG. 37, taken along line 38-38;

FIG. 39 is similar to FIG. 38, showing the steel support beam supported by a wall panel and the manner in which it is secured to the vertical columns, beams or ribs;

FIG. 40 is a perspective view of the components shown in FIG. 39;

FIG. 41 is a perspective view of the panels shown in FIG. 40 to which an interior or party wall formed of panels is secured;

FIG. 42 is similar to FIG. 39, also showing details of attachment of steel joist;

FIG. 43 is similar to FIG. 42, also showing an additional panel secured to a steel support beam for adding and additional level or floor to the structure;

FIG. 43a is a fragmented section of the foam insulation form to which a cement board is attached on one side and a steel tube extending below the foam form at the top of the form;

FIG. 44 is similar to FIG. 43, showing details of C-joists supported by an outside or exterior wall;

FIG. 45 is similar to FIG. 44 in which the panels form a party wall and shows details of an I-beam supporting two C-joists on both sides of the party wall;

FIG. 46 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 40, indicating how two side-by-side panels are joined by a C-shaped splice plate supported by two juxtaposed tandem panels to each other;

FIG. 47a is a front elevational view of the C-joist used to connect the C-channels or beams in FIG. 46;

FIG. 47b is a side elevational view of the splice plate shown in FIG. 47 a;

FIG. 48 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 41 but showing a construction of an outside or exterior wall and a bearing party wall;

FIG. 49 is a top plan view of the steel support beam shown in FIG. 38;

FIG. 50 is a top plan view of the steel support beam shown in FIG. 45;

FIG. 51 is an exploded view similar to FIG. 48, showing panels assembled to add an additional level or floor to a structure;

FIG. 52 is a front elevational view of a production rack for producing wall panels in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 53 is an end elevational view of the production rack shown FIG. 52;

FIG. 54 is a cross-sectional view of the production rack shown in FIG. 52, taken along line 54-54;

FIG. 55 is a top plan view of the production rack shown in FIG. 52, illustrating the vertical concrete ribs poured into the voids or channels in the molded foam forms;

FIG. 56 is a top plan view of one of the formed wall panels, without a window opening, formed in the production rack shown in FIG. 52;

FIG. 57 is similar to FIG. 56 for a wall panel provided with a window opening;

FIG. 58 is an enlarged cross-section illustrating another method of securing cement/wallboard to poured concrete beams or ribs;

FIG. 59 illustrates a cement or wallboard prepared for attachment to vertical concrete beams or ribs;

FIG. 60 is a perspective view of a fastener, such as a piano bolt, that can be used in the method suggested in FIG. 58;

FIG. 61 is similar to FIG. 59, showing two cement or wall boards prepared for attachment to two adjacent molded foam insulation forms; and

FIG. 62 is similar to FIG. 58, showing another method of securing a cement or wallboard to poured concrete beams or ribs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the figures, in which identical or similar parts are designated by the same reference numerals throughout, and first referring to FIG. 1, a basic building component in accordance with the invention is a molded foam insulation form generally designated by the reference numeral 10.

Referring to FIGS. 1-7, The foam insulation form 10 is generally in the shape of a rectangular frame having a predetermined thickness “t” (FIG. 4) and defines an inner surface S_(i) and an outer surface S_(o). In section, the frame 10 is in the general shape of a trapezoidal trough having a flat rear wall 10A, spaced lateral or side walls 10B, 10C, a central projecting rib 10D. Each of the walls 10B-10C has an associated elongate lateral flange 10E, 10F (FIG. 4) having a thickness t′ and extending outwardly and bordering or being generally coextensive with the inner surface S_(i) as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The features 10B, 10C, 10D form cavities 10G between a front plane 10H and the rear wall 10A.

Upper reinforcement plates, members or tubes 12 are embedded in the form 10 at the upper ends of the lateral flange parties 10E, 10F. Lower plate, reinforcement member or tubes 12′ are similarly embedded within the lower end of the foam form 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, so that the tubes 12, 12′ border the inner surface S_(i). Suitable pins or anchors 14 project rearwardly from each of the plates or tubes 12, 12′ in the direction of the rear surface S_(o) to project into the voids, channels or vertical spaces 22 (FIG. 13) formed between each of the flange portions 10E, 10F and the outer surface S_(o). The tubes 12, 12′ can be formed, for example, of metal such as steel tubes, although any other strong rigid material can be used.

In FIGS. 6-9 a modified construction of a molded form 10′ is shown that is similar to the foam form 10 shown in FIGS. 1-5 except that the wall 10B with an associated lip, rim or flange 10E is omitted. The modified construction 10′ can he used as a terminal molded foam insulation form at the end of a series of standard components or forms 10 of the type shown in FIGS. 1-5. When the frames or forms 10, 10′ are arranged as shown in FIG. 13 with the vertical edges of the flanges 10 e, 10 f abutting trapezoidal channels 22 are formed behind the butting flanges and the outer surface So. However the specific cross-section of the channels 22 is not critical and may be selected to provide desired cross-sections of the channels that will provide the desired bearing load when the channels are filled with concrete.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 13 both the anchors 14 extending from the tubes or plates 12, 12′ and the anchors 19 extending from the wall boards 18, as shown in FIGS. 58-62, all project into the voids or channels 22 before the concrete is poured in so that after the concrete hardens not only do the concrete columns or ribs support vertical loads but also fix the resulting panel and prevent separation of the component parts.

Filling the spaces or channels 22 with concrete forms vertical bearing members or columns, ribs or beams 26. The plates or tubes 12, 12′ and their associated anchors 14 become embedded in the concrete to form an integrated assembly in which the concrete extends at least about the vertical lateral sides of the form or even about the periphery of each of the foam insulation forms 10 to provide a rigid structure notwithstanding that the forms or frames may be formed of a much softer and lighter material such as molded foam although any inexpensive light weight material that can serve as a form for the concrete columns and ribs 26 and that serves as good thermal insulator can be used. After the concrete has hardened the metal or steel plates or tubes 12, 12′ and their associated anchors 14 become permanently secured to the concrete columns or ribs 26 and, in effect, become part of a rigid structure to which substantial vertical forces or stresses can be applied,

In FIGS. 30-32 and 35-37, a panel assembly is shown that includes multiple juxtaposed building construction wall panels 24, 24′, with panels 24 have no openings while panels 24′ are provided with a opening 16 (FIGS. 7-9) for windows. The juxtaposed wall panels form a wall 36.

Referring to FIGS. 10-11 a rigid wall panel assembly 24 is formed by attaching a cement or wall board 18 to the basic building component or foam form 10 by means of suitable fasteners such as concrete nails 19 or any other suitable known fasteners that penetrate the wall boards and are set into the poured concrete. Adhesive 20 (FIG. 10) can also be used to secure the wall boards to the foam forms.

When the panel assembly is wider than the widths of standard wall boards, two or more wall boards can be used. The preferred wall boards are MgO boards, as will be more fully described below. However, other wall boards may also be used with different degrees of advantage depending on the specific requirements for a particular construction that meets specified safety and other parameters, building code, etc.

Referring to FIGS. 52-57, rigid wall panel assemblies 24 and 24′ can be assembled at a construction site within a forming or assembly apparatus or production rack 80 formed by spaced vertical end members 80A and substantially spaced horizontal members 80B, the members 80A, 80B being dimensioned to correspond to the desired, dimensions of the wall panel assemblies. The wall panel assemblies 24 may be arranged and assembled on any suitable surface, such as a table, the ground or any other substantially horizontal surface. As the wall panel assemblies 24 and 24′are formed they can be stacked horizontally one upon the other in parallel horizontal planes to allow the poured concrete to set and become secured to the building components or foam forms 10.

Each foam insulation form 10 can be extruded or molded in suitable or typical lengths used in construction, or provided in custom lengths needed for specifically dimensioned panel assemblies for use in a specific construction project. Also, because the foam insulation forms or frames 10 can be cut, longer lengths can be cut to size to accommodate given requirements.

The foam insulation forms 10 are shown to have a generally U-shaped cross-section, although the specific dimensions and cross-sectional configurations are not critical as long as they create elongate voids or channels that can accommodate vertical bearing concrete columns or ribs arranged to generally conform to vertical studs of wood frame constructions. The insulation foam forms or frames 10 may be made of any suitable foam insulation material, such as polyurethane foam.

Preferably, the anchors 14 are fixed to the steel tubes or plates 12, each anchor projecting rearwardly as shown into the spaces, voids or channels 22 created between two adjacent foam forms 10 as shown in FIG. 13. The concrete columns or ribs 26 are formed by pouring concrete to fill the spaces, channels or voids 22 up to the height of the foam forms 10 as suggested in FIG. 13A. Before the concrete has hardened suitable sheathing panels or wall boards 18 (FIGS. 10-13) are placed on top of all of the foam insulation forms 10 and suitable screw anchors or other fasteners 19 are used to secure the sheathing panels as shown. After the concrete hardens, these screw anchors securely connect the sheathing panels or wall boards 18 to the concrete columns or ribs 26.

Referring to FIGS. 14-17 and 19-30, the panels advantageously include cross-braces in the form of steel straps or rods 28 that extend from the diagonally opposing corners of the foam forms as shown and secured to the steel tubes or plates 12, 12′ by means of any suitable fasteners 30. The steel straps are preferably embedded within the foam forms to serve as a reinforcing truss 32 to improve the ability of the panels to withstand lateral loads. The straps or rods can be embedded into the forms when they are molded or the forms may be provided with elongate channels arranged and dimensioned to receive the steel straps and position them as shown to enable the ends of the straps to be secured to the steel tubes or plates 12, 12′.

The materials from which the components or elongate insulation frame forms 10 of the panel assemblies are made will be a function of the desired properties of the finished rigid wall panel assemblies. As indicated, the foam insulation forms or frames 10 may be made of polyurethane foam. The sheathing panels or wall boards 18 may be selected from a wide variety of available panels. However, in accordance with the presently preferred embodiment, the sheathing panels 18 are preferably a specific type of panel commonly known as magnesium oxide board or MgO board. Such panels are a technologically advanced building material that have superior performance properties in almost every category when compared to traditional wood, gypsum and cement-based products. Such MgO boards are resistant to fire, water, insects, do not feed mold or mildew, is non-toxic, non-flammable and non-combustible. They are durable and maintain dimensional stability, even when wet, and have exceptional bonding surfaces. In addition, such boards are mineral-based “green” builder products and can have a positive impact on the health and safety of occupants of structures made of such boards, while extending the life of the structure itself. Magnesium oxide or MgO boards are marketed by numerous manufacturers, including those sold under the brand names Dragonboard™ and Magnum™ board. Additional information and specifications on Dragonboard™ can be obtained at www.dragonboard.com, and specifications and additional information about Magnum™ board is available at www.magnumbp.com.

Referring to FIGS. 38-40 a joist support hanger assembly 52 is shown for use with an exterior wall. The wall support 52 includes a U-shaped or C-shaped beam 52B that has a vertical plate member portion 52B′ and spaced upper and lower flanges 52B″ to define a horizontal channel 56 dimensioned to receive a floor joist 58 of predetermined dimensions with little clearance. Secured to the vertical plate portion 52B′ is a T-shaped beam 52A having a vertical portion 52A″ secured to the vertical plate portion 52B′ in any conventional manner such as welding, fasteners etc. A horizontal portion 52A′ extends in a direction away from the open channel 56 and has a width substantially equal to the width of a wall panel 24 as shown in FIG. 39. The joist support 52 is secured to the top edge of a wall panel 24 by means of fasteners 54 or any other suitable fasteners driven through the upper tubes or plates 12. The loads placed on the joist support members 52 are transferred to the vertical concrete columns or ribs 26.

In FIG. 45 a support member 70 is shown mounted on a common or interior wall. The support member is similar in construction and function to the support member 52 except that the T-channel 52A extends across and downwardly as shown to essentially become an inverted H-beam or channel dimensioned to be placed over an upper edge of a common or interior wall panel with little clearance. Two C-channels 52B are secured to opposite sides of the H-channel 70A as shown and serve the same function as the C-channel 52B of the support member 52.

FIG. 33 shows a plan view of a single level housing unit 48 having an internal wall and parallel spaced exterior or outside walls. The floor joists 58 extend between internal wall support members 70 and external wall support members or hanger assemblies 52. Floor panels 60 are placed over the floor joists 58 as shown in FIGS. 42 and 43.

This procedure is repeated for each floor that is added to the structure. Similarly, the lower portions of the metal joists 58 extent downwardly proximate to the ceiling line, and a suitable a ceiling panel 64 a may be attached to the lower surfaces of the joists as shown in FIG. 43. Clearly, the construction of the floor demands adequate reinforcement to support significant loads that may be placed on the floor. The construction of the ceiling is less demanding, as the weight of a ceiling is typically considerably less than the weight of the floor and the loads of placed thereon.

In FIG. 43 additional details are shown of the attachment and support members 52 of an assembled housing structure including the anchoring members 54 that are embedded in the concrete ribs 26, the fasteners 54 securing the tubes 12 of an upper wall panel 24 to a support member 52 on a lower wall panel.

Referring to FIGS. 52-57 a presently preferred method of forming wall panels 24 is shown. The forming device or apparatus 80 maintains the wall panel assemblies in vertical orientations although it is also possible to orient the wall panel assemblies at angles inclined for the vertical. When the voids or elongate channels are oriented vertically or substantially vertically the concrete can be poured into the upper open ends of the channels. Funnels may be placed above the apertures or slots for pouring of the concrete over the rigid wall panels to fill the channels, spaces or regions between each of the wall panel assemblies and the backing panels or MgO boards 18. The viscous concrete flows into all the channels under its own weight to fill them. This approach allows a plurality of rigid wall panels to be formed simultaneously for facilitating and rendering more efficient the production of such panels.

After the walls are taken out of the rack, a steel assembly is placed on top of the wall and is fastened to the steel tubes by way of self drilling screws or Hilti nails that are shot into the steel assembly plus steel tubes. The steel assembly acts as the horizontal structural member for the walls and also has a steel channel that is used for attaching the steel floor joists to the top of the wall. When another floor is added during the erection of a building the steel assembly at the top of the wall also connects to the bottom of the wall that is placed on top of it. Also, the steel assembly is preferably painted with an intumescent coating that makes it into a firestop that does not allow fire to spread either horizontally or vertically to other areas in the assembled building, that is, either from a lower floor apartment to the apartment above it, or from one apartment to another apartment adjacent to it on the same floor level.

As indicated. the concrete ribs are poured into the wall panels while the wall panel is positioned vertically in the production rack. This means that when the wall panel is removed from the production rack it only has vertical structural members, and does not have any horizontal structural members.

The panel or wall construction is similar to a stud wall sheathed with plywood that only has vertical wood studs with plywood attached to only one side of those wood studs. Such wood stud wall has very little structural strength. Not only does it not have a rigid horizontal top and bottom wood structure to keep the wall from easily bending in almost any direction, but the plywood sheathing is only attached on the two vertical sides of the plywood so that the plywood sheets are not very effective for resisting horizontal loading. What is needed for such wood stud wall to be strong is to attach horizontal wood structures to the top and bottom of the wood wall. However, if the top and bottom of the plywood sheets are not secured to the horizontal wood structure at the top and bottom of the wall, then cross bracing should be placed into that wall to compensate.

For a small building a shear panel like a sheet of plywood can be used to take lateral loads, but for a larger building with the type of cement boards used in accordance with the invention, and the way these cement boards are attached to the building, it is better to use cross bracing because one can design with far more certainty for lateral loads. Also, because the floor includes steel joists, in any case, steel structures will be needed at the top and bottom of the walls to connect these steel floor joists to the walls.

Because it is preferred to pour the vertical concrete columns vertically for greater efficiency, pouring redundant horizontal concrete structure at the top and bottom would be difficult. Also, because steel structures are used at the top and bottom of the panels, it would be redundant, wasteful and render the structure heavier.

Referring to FIGS. 40, 46, two wall panels are joined to each other and to the concrete columns and ribs 26 that are created within the rigid wall panel assemblies.

FIGS. 59-62 illustrate a construction for enhancing the connections between the wall boards and the concrete columns and ribs that are poured into the rigid wall panel assemblies. One method for enhancing such connections at the interfaces between the wall panels and the concrete is the use of truncated conical recesses 100 dimensioned for receiving and retaining fasteners 102 that become embedded both within the truncated conical recesses of the wall boards and also embedded within the concrete after it is poured and after it hardens. The truncated conical recesses are dimensioned so that the larger diameter base of the recess is further inwardly recessed relative to the smaller diameter opening on the surface of the board.

While MgO boards have been discussed above, it should be understood that any cement boards may be used. For example, cement bonded particle board distributed by U.S. Architectural Products, Inc. of Princeton, N.J. under the trademark “Versaroc”®, a trademark owned by Eurothrm Products Ltd. located in Appleton Warrington, U.K. can be used. Versaroc® cement board is a highly fire-resistant* (UL LISTED), structural cement bonded particle board (CBPB for use in span-rated floors, roofs, and walls, Versaroc cement board is highly resistant to weather, impact, mold/fungus, abuse and vermin/insect attack.

Versaroc® cement board is rated for zero flame spread and zero smoke development under surface burning characteristics testing standards of ASTM E-84 and ANSI/UL 723.

Versaroc® cement board is composed of 71% Portland 19% mineralized wood fiber, 9% water and 1% bonding agents. The uniting of wood fiber and Portland cement produces a building panel which is non-toxic, does not contain hazardous volatiles and is free of any asbestos or formaldehyde. Versaroc® cement board does not present health hazards and is environmentally safe. Versaroc® cement board is a green building material and contributes to LEED certification (IEQ Credit 3, IEQ Credit 4).

Versaroc® cement board will not delaminate in water and is dimensionally stable.

Versaroc® cement board's is suitable for exterior and interior wall construction, floors, ceilings, or as a general purpose building panel.

Versaroc® cement board is supplied in 4′×8′ and (4′×10′ special order) sheets at thicknesses of 5/16″, ⅜″, ½″, ¾″, ⅞″, 1″, 1⅛″, 1¼″ and 1½″. Square edge boards are available on all thicknesses and tongue & groove edges are available on ⅝″ through 1¼″ panels.

Key Advantages of Versaroc® cement board include:

-   -   Highly Fire-Resistant—UL LISTED     -   Zero Flame Spread and Zero Smoke Development in accordance with         ANSI/UL 723 and ASTM E84     -   Non-combustible in accordance with ASTM E136 for a 10 minute         duration in a 750° C. 1,382° F.) vertical tube furnace.     -   Structural—excellent load earring capacities over 24″ on center         maximum spans.     -   Moisture Resistant—factory sealed option.     -   Mold/Fungus resistant     -   Termite/Vermin Resistant     -   Impact & Abuse Resistant     -   Sound—excellent sound attenuation properties     -   Installs & Fabricates using carpentry tools and equipment.

Thus, Versaroc® cement boards or other equivalent boards are ideal for use with the subject invention.

Stronger cement boards may be advantageously used in the construction of wall panels, the somewhat weaker MgO boards may be used for floor panels. However, for purposes of this application cement boards and MgO boards are used interchangeably and are substantially equivalent, with slightly different properties, with slightly different degrees of advantage.

A Comparison of MgO construction system with conventional wood construction is instructive. The MgO board construction system according to the invention incorporates many of the features that make wood frame construction an ideal method for building in areas where earthquake resistant construction is required. These features as they apply to the above system will be addressed.

1. The walls and floors of the proposed construction system closely mimic the wood joists and studs that provide for redundant load paths for earthquake forces in wood construction. The system also has numerous small connections rather than a few large capacity connections. These connections are the steel anchors that attach the MgO board to the concrete ribs that are the vertical wall studs and horizontal top and bottom plates of a typical wall panel. Also, the C-Joists at the floors closely mimic wood floor joists, and these C-Joists have numerous connections to the walls by way of connection to the metal joist supports. In wood construction wood floor joists are sheathed with plywood. while in our system metal joists are sheathed with MgO floor panels.

2. Both metal C-Joists and MgO board have a high strength to weight ratio making our proposed system a very lightweight system. MgO board has almost the exact structural and dimensional characteristics as plywood. and is almost as lightweight of a material as plywood.

3. In the proposed wall system the MgO board is attached to a multitude of relatively small reinforced concrete ribs by way of metal nail-like anchor studs that will allow the building to flex, just as occurs with wood stud wall construction. MgO board has very similar structural properties to plywood and will flex just as plywood does, absorbing and dissipating energy just as plywood does.

4. As with a wood frame building the structural panels of our system, consisting walls made of MgO board attached to reinforced concrete ribs, along with floors made of lightweight relatively thin MgO flooring panels on metal C-Joists, is a relatively lightweight construction. This construction assembly acts in combination to create strong, lightweight shear walls and diaphragms that are very effective lateral-force resisting building assemblies.

Whereas wood frame construction is dependent on highly skilled labor and is labor intensive, this proposed construction system is pre-engineered so that all pre-fabricated components contribute to construction efficiency. This system will therefore require far less skilled labor and supervision which will enable much faster construction of buildings. Molded foam insulation forms and metal joist supports as well as other engineered system components all will be the product of a highly industrialized and automated manufacturing. While mimicking the desirable structural properties of wood building construction, this system will be far more efficient to build and will be far more fire resistant and durable.

Using conventional construction methods the shell of a 10,500 square foot apartment building could cost $900,000. Using the MgO system the cost for the same shell structure would be $335,000. This represents a savings of about 60% of construction cost for the shell of the building. Other advantages are that installation of services such as electrical, plumbing and HVAC would be less costly because of ease of installation into the system. Also, the time it takes to construct a building would be drastically cut down. In Israel it can take two years to complete an apartment building, while this MgO systems building method should be able to be built within four to six months, as construction of the shell and also of services like electricity are designed to be built very rapidly and at a high rate of productivity. This also means that there will be a lot of cost savings on construction financing as the time of construction is dramatically shortened.

The basic component of this system is a molded rigid foam insulation panel. These molded insulation panels function as insulation for the building and as rib forms for structural concrete ribs. The molded insulation panels are fabricated with structural steel inserts that have steel anchors attached to them that serve to anchor the steel inserts into the concrete ribs. When fabricating structural wall panels concrete with fiber reinforcing is poured into the rib forms of the foam insulation forms and then MgO sheathing board is placed on top of the foam insulation panels and anchored into the poured concrete ribs using steel anchors. These structural wall panels consist of several rigid foam insulation panels, poured concrete ribs and MgO sheathing board, and are the structural wall panels used for building with this system. As these structural wall panels are fabricated they are stacked in place, so that many of these panels can be fabricated together at one time, making this fabrication process very efficient.

When a building is built with this system the structural wall panels are fabricated on the site, as described above. These walls are then set up vertically and metal fittings that are steel joist hangers are placed at the top of the walls. These steel joist hangers are coated with an intumescent fireproofing that provides them with a required fire rating. Then these wall panels are set up on a suitable foundation or upon a similar wall panel that has already been set up below this panel. Next wall panels are connected to each other with fittings and by the structural steel inserts that are anchored into the concrete ribs. All connections use self-drilling screws, so that positioning wall panels requires relatively low dimensional accuracy. After the wall panels have been set up and connected to each other, then metal C-joists for floors or roofs are placed, into the joist hanger fittings. MgO concrete floor panels are then attached to the metal joists, as is the case with conventional metal joist construction. The wall panels are suitable for use as bearing and nonbearing interior and exterior walls.

The MgO sheathing side of the walls is used either at the exterior side of the wall. or as an interior party wall that is also an interior fire separation wall. The side of the walls with the exposed rigid foam insulation is the interior side of the wall. The structural ribs run vertically on the wall and are spaced at intervals of about four feet on center. The plastic insulation foam surrounding the wall panel's ribs can be cut or interrupted at any point so that vertically or horizontally placed wiring or plumbing can be fitting into the walls. Conventional plasterboard is mounted on the foam surrounding the ribs and on the bottom of the C-Joists at the ceiling to finish the interior space. Since the polyurethane foam insulation panels are made from a tough rigid material, conventional plasterboard can be mounted with screws and adhesives directly onto the foam ribs of the wall panel.

This wall assembly of MgO boards anchored to concrete ribs should have a very high fire rating as both the concrete ribs and the MgO board have excellent fire resistance properties. The fire rating of a typical ceiling assembly that consists of plasterboard mounted on C-Joists can be as high of a fire rating as required depending on how the assembly is designed. The potential to create a high fire rating with this technology means that this construction system will be suitable for building multi-family, multi-story buildings in urban areas that have stringent fire rating requirements. The surface of the exterior MgO board covered walls needs only to be painted with a water resistant paint or synthetic stucco surface to be completely waterproof. Also, because this system is relatively lightweight and flexible, it should also have excellent properties when it comes to seismic design considerations.

The building construction system is a combination of several fairly recent technological innovations that are currently in use in the construction industry. These building construction technologies include: MgO cement panels, high strength self drilling screws, cold rolled steel joists. rigid molded polyurethane insulation, fiber reinforced concrete, and intumescent fireproofing for structural steel components. Although all of these technologies have been developed at least a century after the wood frame construction methods that are still in use today, mimicking the positive features of wood frame construction with advanced methods and materials will create an advanced building construction technology.

This building construction system will be faster and less expensive to build with and present an industrialized uniform product with low skill and supervision requirements, while providing high standards for both fire and earthquake safety. Because the basic component of this system is an insulation panel, this method of building will also be exceptionally energy efficient.

As will be evident from the Figures and the above description of the wall panel assemblies they are extremely simple and convenient to assemble, provide extremely good structural properties and are easy and quick to assemble and made to any required or desired configurations. Once these panel assemblies are assembled there is no further need to provide insulation as the panels themselves are partly made of an insulation material and, therefore, inherently provide a level of desired temperature and sound insulation.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

1. A wall panel comprising an elongate, generally rectangular foam form having four corners and two spaced parallel lateral edges extending along the length direction of said foam form, at least one of said parallel edges being provided with means for forming at least one void or channel; rigid members embedded in said foam form at said corners at the longitudinal ends of said at least one void or channel; anchor means extending from said rigid members into said at least one void or channel; a wall board substantially coextensive with and secured to said foam form to form an exterior side of the wall panel and, together with said foam form, define said at least one void or channel; and concrete within said at least one void or channel embedding and securing said anchor means whereby said rigid members can be used as attachment points for structural members to be attached to the wall panel.
 2. A wall panel as defined in claim 1, wherein means for forming a void or channel is provided at each of both of said lateral edges.
 3. A wall panel as defined in claim 1, wherein foam form defines inner and outer surfaces and an outwardly extending flange at said inner surface that encapsulates said rigid members and at least partially defines said at least one void or channel with said wall board attached to said exterior or outer surface.
 4. A wall panel as defined in claim 3, wherein said foam form extends outwardly at said at least one of said parallel edges from said outer to said inner surface to form with said flange a portion of a trapezoid, whereby positioning two foam forms coextensively to butt associated flanges forms with said wall board a void or channel having a trapezoidal cross-section.
 5. A wall panel as defined in claim 1, further comprising cross steel straps each extending between corners at opposing longitudinal ends of opposing lateral edges of said foam form and secured at each end to said rigid members.
 6. A wall panel as defined in claim 1, further comprising anchors projecting from said wall board into said voids or channels and are encased within said concrete.
 7. A wall panel as defined in claim 1, wherein said foam form includes an opening for a window between said parallel edges.
 8. A wall panel as defined in claim 1, further comprising a steel assembly attached at a top of said wall panel to said rigid members.
 9. A wall panel as defined in claim 1, wherein said foam form is molded with said rigid members.
 10. A method of forming a wall panel comprising the steps of forming an elongate, generally rectangular foam form having four corners and two spaced parallel lateral edges extending along the length direction of said foam form, at least one of said parallel edges being provided with means for forming at least one void or channel; embedding rigid members in said foam form at said corners at the longitudinal ends of said at least one void or channel; extending anchors from said rigid members into said at least one void or channel; filling said at least one void or channel with concrete and embedding and securing said anchor means within said concrete; and attaching a wall board substantially coextensive with and secured to said foam form to form an exterior side of the wall panel, whereby said rigid members can be used as attachment points for structural members to be attached to the wall panel.
 11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein means for forming a void or channel is provided at each of both of said lateral edges.
 12. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein foam form defines inner and outer surfaces and forming an outwardly extending flange at said inner surface to form said at least one void or channel with said wall board attached to said exterior or outer surface.
 13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein said foam form extends outwardly at said at least one of said parallel edges from said outer to said inner surface to form with said flange a portion of a trapezoid, and positioning two foam forms coextensively to butt associated flanges to form with said wall board a void or channel having a trapezoidal cross-section.
 14. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprising adding cross steel straps each extending between corners at opposing longitudinal ends of opposing lateral edges of said foam form and secured at each end to said rigid members.
 15. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein said rigid members are molded into said foam forms.
 16. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein an opening is formed within said foam form for a window between said parallel edges.
 17. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprising the step of positioning a steel assembly at a top of said wall panel and securing said steel assembly to said rigid members.
 18. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein said foam form is molded with said rigid members.
 19. A method of simultaneously forming a plurality of wall panels comprising the steps stacking a plurality of foam forms in a production rack, each foam form being generally rectangular having four corners and two spaced parallel lateral edges extending along the length direction of each foam form, a wall board substantially coextensive with and secured to each of said foam forms to form an exterior side of each wall panel, at least one of said parallel edges being provided with means for forming at least one void or channel, and rigid members embedded in each of said foam forms at said corners at the longitudinal ends of said at least one void or channel with anchors extending from said rigid members into said at least one void or channel, said foam forms being stacked to arrange said voids or channels of all of said foam forms in non-horizontal orientations to position one end of each void or channel at a higher elevation relative to the other end of each of said voids or channels; and filling of said voids or channels of all of said forms by pouring concrete into said one ends to embed and secure said anchor means within said concrete while forming concrete ribs within said voids or channels.
 20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein said foam forms are stacked to orient said voids or channels in substantially vertical directions. 